Highschool choir after all these YEARS

I had my debut High school choir performance this year at the dedication of the Wasatch High School. We performed Homeland and I had fun with my first experience in a High School Choir. The crappy video below is the performance (audio is alright though).

Three Cuties and a Little Man

When the Ohio cousins came to visit the Utah cousins, we packed as much fun as possible into the 10 days they were here.

We went on a hike and sat on a rock,

went to the aquarium,

visited a farm and the kids rode ponies,

had picnics,

walked through a children's garden and rolled down the hills,

and played in the backyard together.

Surviving the Storm

Like so many summer evenings, one particular flying night started off with beating sun and exhausting heat. Then we looked off into the distance and saw a cell of thunderstorms headed straight for us.

We finished our flight and gathered ourselves and our stuff under the shelter that was available. (The model airport has a large awning covering the set-up area for the pilots.) We were just in time too. By now the thunderstorm clouds almost completely covered us.

The wind that brought the storm in was strong (~30 mph), and started blowing planes around as it came. After we caught the planes, the pilots stood holding them to keep them steady.

I'm not sure why we all didn't go to our cars and get out of the weather, but we stood there under the awning getting sandblasted by the grit carried on the wind. Maybe because it was fascinating to watch the storm come up and then move on.

Things That Roll

This year's Loertscher extended family reunion site featured a ramp leading up to a covered porch. Zeke found the ramp nearly immediately by taking a trike up the ramp. As I saw him walking up, I knew that discovery of the thrill of coming down was inevitable. And sure enough, that's what happened next. The first few times I walked down with him, slowing him from the full force of gravity acting on a vehicle with wheels. Then I just let him go for it and he had a great time riding on down.

Zeke also pushed a dump truck up and let it roll back down - chasing after it - about a million times. Once an older kid tried to help by catching it partway down. Zeke (who was mid-run down the ramp) changed directions and seemed to say 'Oh well, I guess they have it now.' The older kid, seeing Zeke run away, seemed to say 'Whatever, guess he's done with it' and put it down and walked away. Zeke, seeing his truck was again available, ran back over to it and began again to push it up the ramp.

He also loved the little family train that ran around the backyard every so often. He loved it so much we got him a ticket for the upcoming train trip down the parade route.